Winter Stage Races (Cat. 2, deadline on 13/3)
After Tour Down Harder Contest, the second contest will be about the winter stage races. What are the two most famous winter stace races? Of course the Paris - Nice and the Tirreno - Adriatico.

We propose to merge those races in a mini grand-tour of 13 stages, starting from Friday 2 and ending on Wednesday 14 March 2018

Rules to follow
- You must start in one of the districts near Paris
- You must end in center Italy, preferably on Adriatico
- Col d'Eze must be inserted in the route with Nice hosting a stage finish
- The six stages before Thursday 8 must be set ALL in France, the six stages after Thursday 8 must be set ALL in Italy
- You had to take into account that race are settled in early march, so, for example, there is snow limit. You have to avoid high altitudes. You cannot go above 1700 meters in French stages and 1800 meters in Italian stages.
- You must insert at least one mountain stage in france and at least one mountain stage in italy
- Those races are stages races but are also a preparation races for Sanremo. You must provide GC battle with Mountains and Time Trial but the focus should also be about mixed / medium mountain stages making riders like Gilbert, Alaphilippe, Kwiatkowski the chance to feature in at least 3-4 stages

It starts at Combs-la-Ville (near to Paris) and ends at Monopoli (on Adriatico). The french climax is the Réallon Station at 1544 m above sea level and the italian climax is the rifugio Sibilla at 1541 m above sea level. The first seven stages are in France and end at Nice with the last climb of the stage the Col d'Eze. The next six stages are in Italy and start at Portoferraio on Elba Island (Tyrrhenian Sea). This tour is composed of two ITTs (33,4 km total), 4 plain stages, 4 medium mountain stages and 3 hilly stages. The tour has a total of 2134 km.

Stage 4 : Roanne - Laffrey (Mountain - 221 km)
This stage ends at the Rampe de Laffrey, a very hard climb (6,8 km at 9,4 %). This is the first opportunity for climbers to win and maybe to get time on others.

Stage 5 : Grenoble - Station de Réallon (Mountain - 196,5 km)
The Col de Pontis can make lots of damages in the peloton and can tire the leaders for the last climb.

Stage 7 : Fréjus - Nice (Mountain - 188,8 km)
This stage is really difficult with a lot of climbs (Col d'Eze, Col de Châteauneuf, etc...). It will be very hard for riders.

Stage 8 : Portoferraio - Monte Perone (ITT - 26,5 km)
This TT is very very hard. The Monte Perone is a 9,4 km long climb at 6,6 %.

Stage 10 : Perugia - Rifugio Sibilla(Monte Sibilla) (Mountain - 175,2 km)
This stage is very hard because of the succession of climbs. The road of the last climb is not asphalted with white gravel.

It starts at Combs-la-Ville (near to Paris) and ends at Monopoli (on Adriatico). The french climax is the Réallon Station at 1544 m above sea level and the italian climax is the rifugio Sibilla at 1541 m above sea level. The first seven stages are in France and end at Nice with the last climb of the stage the Col d'Eze. The next six stages are in Italy and start at Portoferraio on Elba Island (Tyrrhenian Sea). This tour is composed of two ITTs (33,4 km total), 4 plain stages, 4 medium mountain stages and 3 hilly stages. The tour has a total of 2134 km.

Here are some stages of the tour:

Stage 4 : Roanne - Laffrey (Mountain - 221 km)
This stage ends at the Rampe de Laffrey, a very hard climb (6,8 km at 9,4 %). This is the first opportunity for climbers to win and maybe to get time on others.

Stage 5 : Grenoble - Station de Réallon (Mountain - 196,5 km)
The Col de Pontis can make lots of damages in the peloton and can tire the leaders for the last climb.

Stage 7 : Fréjus - Nice (Mountain - 188,8 km)
This stage is really difficult with a lot of climbs (Col d'Eze, Col de Châteauneuf, etc...). It will be very hard for riders.

Stage 8 : Portoferraio - Monte Perone (ITT - 26,5 km)
This TT is very very hard. The Monte Perone is a 9,4 km long climb at 6,6 %.

Stage 10 : Perugia - Rifugio Sibilla(Monte Sibilla) (Mountain - 175,2 km)
This stage is very hard because of the succession of climbs. The road of the last climb is not asphalted with white gravel.

it starts in Thoiry, small city in the west hinterland on Paris, famous for his zoological park and ends in San Benedetto del Tronto.

stage 1 is a sprinter stage: mainly flat, but 3 small cotes near the end can cut off some sprinters from the victory.
stage 2 is very hilly in the central part (breakaway chance ?) and a small ascent that ends at -1km can be a factor in the stage.
stage 3 is a flat, sprinters stage.
stage 4 is a tricky stage with a climb near the end of the stage. the favourites have to pay attention.
stage 5 is a flat ITT long 24km, that can create some huge differences between the GC favourites.
stage 6 is the main stage in france section: 5 medium-difficulty climbs before the end in Pra Loup (7.7km at 6,5%). its one of the key stages.
stage 7 is very hilly, with 6 small climbs (the penultimate is the Eze) before the end in Nice.
stage 8 covers all the Liguria Coast from Nice to Genova, where starts the small climb of Marassi (2,7km at 5%) that can help finisseurs.
stage 9 is flat, with a sprint as the most probably end.
stage 10 is a hilly stage with some climbs in the center and no real flat before the last 40kms. breakaway has a lot of chances here.
stage 11 is the second and last ITT, with the climb in white road of Alpe di Poti (10.2km at 6,1%). key stage.
stage 12 is the last mountain stage, with 7 medium - hard climbs before the last ascent to Poggio di San Romualdo (10.4 km at 6,6%, with max slope at 11%).
stage 13 is a flat stage with a sprint in S.Benedetto as conclusion of this tour

Last edited by simone.galbiati on 16/02/2018, 10:42, edited 1 time in total.

It starts at Combs-la-Ville (near to Paris) and ends at Monopoli (on Adriatico). The french climax is the Réallon Station at 1544 m above sea level and the italian climax is the rifugio Sibilla at 1541 m above sea level. The first seven stages are in France and end at Nice with the last climb of the stage the Col d'Eze. The next six stages are in Italy and start at Portoferraio on Elba Island (Tyrrhenian Sea). This tour is composed of two ITTs (33,4 km total), 4 plain stages, 4 medium mountain stages and 3 hilly stages. The tour has a total of 2134 km.

Stage 4 : Roanne - Laffrey (Mountain - 221 km)
This stage ends at the Rampe de Laffrey, a very hard climb (6,8 km at 9,4 %). This is the first opportunity for climbers to win and maybe to get time on others.

Stage 5 : Grenoble - Station de Réallon (Mountain - 196,5 km)
The Col de Pontis can make lots of damages in the peloton and can tire the leaders for the last climb.

Stage 7 : Fréjus - Nice (Mountain - 188,8 km)
This stage is really difficult with a lot of climbs (Col d'Eze, Col de Châteauneuf, etc...). It will be very hard for riders.

Stage 8 : Portoferraio - Monte Perone (ITT - 26,5 km)
This TT is very very hard. The Monte Perone is a 9,4 km long climb at 6,6 %.

Stage 10 : Perugia - Rifugio Sibilla(Monte Sibilla) (Mountain - 175,2 km)
This stage is very hard because of the succession of climbs. The road of the last climb is not asphalted with white gravel.

The race tries to respect as much as possible the original track of both races.
The difficulties are equally divided between France and Italy, being understood that the decisive and hardest stages will be located in the last week in Italy.
The transfers have been reduced to the minimum since it’s a 13 days race without a rest day.
Overall there are 4 flat stages, 3 rambling stages, 2 medium mountain stages, 2 time trials and 2 high mountain stages. 4 uphill arrivals.
Maximum altitude in France 1417 mt. (La Font d’Urle). In Italy 1645 mt. (Monte Catria).
The first 6 stages are entirely in France, the last 6 entirely in Italy. The 7th stage is an individual time trial that represent the border crossing between France and Italy.
Note: The practicability of the roads has been verified either through direct knowledge or via street view, as well as with the editor in driving mode. Some dirt roads are not completely tracked by street view, and to evaluate their practicability the following rule has been used: if the road was practicable as far as the images arrived and it was feasible even after the interruption, it was considered entirely viable, otherwise it was discarded.maps/tours/view/8393

Stage 1: Paris-Chablis *
Tipical sprinter stage in the heart of France, with just a 4th cat. climb to assign the first mountain jersey.
Type of cyclist to watch: Kittel, Kristoff
Profile: maps/viewtrack/192119

Stage 2: Chablis-Digion ***
Nice stage for stage hunters and athletes like Kwiatkowski or Sagan. The last 80 km are a thrilling up and down in the bourguignon hills and the last cote tde Hauteville has a 1 km white road sector.
Type of cyclist to watch: Sagan, Kwiatkowski
Profile: maps/viewtrack/192121

Stage 5 Gap-Drauguignan ***
Short transfer to Gap and then road to Drauguignan trough the hearth of Provence region. The sprinters can suffer in the final Cote de Figanieres (3km at 7,2%). This can be an opportunity for stage hunters.
Type of cyclist to watch: Kwiatkowski, Sagan, Gilbert
Profile: maps/viewtrack/192131
Key points: maps/viewtrack/192731

Stage 6 Drauguignan-Nice ****
Typical Paris-Nice stage with several half mountain passes and the classical Col d’Eze in the last km before the dive down to Nice.
Type of cyclist to watch: Alaphilippe, Valverde, Nibali
Profile: maps/viewtrack/192134
Key Points:maps/viewtrack/192734

Stage 7: Roqebrune Cap Martin-Sanremo *****
The beauty of French and Italian rivieras will be the perfect corniche for this first TT stage. Pay attention to the wind!
Type of cyclist to watch: Dumoulin, Dennis, Froome
Profile: maps/viewtrack/192135

Stage 8: Savona-Forte dei Marmi **
Hilly stage in the first half with Nostra Signora della Guardia and Passo del Bracco, but the last 80 km should allow the sprinters to be the main actors in the finish line.
Type of cyclist to watch: Viviani, Kristoff
Profile: maps/viewtrack/192136

Stage 10: San Quirico D'Orcia-Spoleto **
Last opportunity for sprinters. The hill of Montefalco can represent a springboard for stage hunters that can try to anticipate the sprint. The last km. is slightly uphill.
Type of cyclist to watch: Kristoff, Sagan, Colbrelli
Profile: maps/viewtrack/192139

Stage 11: Spoleto-Monte Catria *****
Very hard mountain stage with finish line in the top of Monte Catria (15 km 7,5%). The race will probably explode in the terrible Serrasanta climb, 7 km with an average gradient of 10,1% almost half of these in withe road
Type of cyclist to watch: Quintana, Froome, Nibali
Profile: maps/viewtrack/192376
Key Points: maps/viewtrack/192643maps/viewtrack/192645

Stage 12: Fabriano-Montelupone *****
Possibly the hardest stage of this tour won’t be a high mountain stage but this legs-breaking medium mountain stage with 20 walls to climb in the Marche region. Not a single meter of flat to finally reach the terrible gradient of the Montelupone wall.
Type of cyclist to watch: Nibali, Daniel Martin, Valverde
Profile: maps/viewtrack/192415
Key Points: maps/viewtrack/192647 maps/viewtrack/192644

A prologue through the small cobbled streets of Montmartre. Challenging & technical in a beautiful setting.

Stage 2: Arpajon - Joigny

A first chance for the sprinters to shine and to possibly take the leaders jersey if their prologue went well.

Stage 3: Auxerre - Côte de Lorien

A bit of an Ardennes classic vibe in this stage. The hill specialists should like this one.

Stage 4: Le Creusot - Villefranche-sur-Saône

The final climb isn't the hardest, but the stage should be hard enough to start that climb with a smaller peloton than usual. A possibility where an early attack in the stage might make it to the end.

Stage 5: Vienne - Valréas

A sprint where the favourites for Milan - San Remo will be on top will probably be the result of this stage. If you can't make it in the front on the côte d'Aleyrac, you'll need to get in form quickly for the Primavera.

Stage 6: Digne-les-Bains - Nice

A crucial stage for the GC. Long and lots of climbs with a classic finish. Luckily for some, the climbs themselves aren't the longest, so riders who prefer hills to mountains could still hang on and save their GC.

Stage 7: Nice - Pietra Ligure

A flashback to stage 5. The final climb is tougher, but a bit further away from the finish line. Another chance for the riders who are hoping for a sprint on the Via Roma.

Stage 8: Genoa - Pisa

Sprinters who were dropped on the climbs the last few stages have a chance to make up for it, right next to the leaning tower.

Stage 9: Pontedera - Lentignano

A very interesting final: the very hard Croce di Lignano, followed by a hill sprint. An attack on the Croce could make it to the end or completely fail. One for the daring and the final chance for the hill specialists.

Stage 10: Città di Castello - Castelluccio

A mountain stage with a tricky finish. Dropped riders on the Monte Prata can make up some few valuable seconds in the end.

Stage 11: Ascoli - Monte Piselli

An extremely short stage around Ascoli. GC riders who are focused on climbing have to make their move here.

Stage 12: Teramo - Ancona

The last chance for sprinters and the final head-to-head race before the Primavera.

Stage 13: San Benedetto del Tronto (ITT)

An upgrade in difficulty for the traditional ITT in San Benedetto del Tronto, making a possible close GC extremely interesting.